However, as she looked at everyone, Xia Qi paused slightly, feeling as if someone was missing.
Kiana, Mei, Einstein.
Everyone was there.
Letting the thought go, Xia Qi turned and urgently led everyone toward the Hyperion.
She had no time to stop. There were still many things waiting for her to do.
After Xia Qi left, a brilliant flash of fire appeared on the spot. Fu Hua stood there, watching Xia Qi's departing figure for a moment, frowning, then followed.
Before the Eye of the Deep Sea had opened, she had moved with such subtlety that even a Herrscher couldn't detect it, taking advantage of Xia Qi's trust in her to gradually conceal her presence.
Because she had grown suspicious of "Bronya's" true intentions.
The source of this suspicion was Otto.
Otto had already learned through spies embedded in Anti-Entropy about Xia Qi and the others' plan to head to the Eye of the Deep Sea.
That day, Otto had said to Fu Hua with a smile:
"Immortal of the Crimson Flame, do you truly believe that those whose origins are merely spoken words will wholeheartedly help our world? Do you really trust every word they say?"
"..."
Fu Hua remained silent. She believed them, without hesitation.
"Even if they are genuinely trying to help us... then, Immortal of the Crimson Flame, if one day in the future they become enemies of our world, which side will you choose to stand on?"
That's impossible.
Fu Hua thought silently to herself.
But the question made her hesitate. She couldn't help but think seriously: if such a situation really occurred in the future, how should she protect this world?
"Why can they only appear one person at a time? Do you truly believe there's nothing more to it than that, Immortal of the Crimson Flame? Even the whole world, even I, think they are truly 'good people' here to help us overcome the Honkai.
I also hope you won't believe them so easily. Please be rational, Immortal."
Although she knew Otto was sowing discord... Fu Hua still made her choice.
She concealed her presence, entered the Quantum Sea with Xia Qi and the others, and observed from the shadows to determine whether Xia Qi would cause harm to their world.
Just now, after noticing that Kevin was also in the Quantum Sea, she had kept her distance and not approached.
Because if she got closer, there was a high probability Kevin would discover her.
Furthermore...
The snake lurking behind the world had also begun to stir. Within the shadows cast by the two great powers of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, the faint hissing of a snake was eerily audible, sending chills down one's spine.
"We're back."
Xia Qi brought the others back to the front of the Hyperion. Looking at everyone, she tried to calm herself and said:
"Let's go."
"Okay."
Welt nodded, frowning as he looked up at the Hyperion.
Mechanical lifting platforms materialized beneath everyone's feet, carrying them all upward. Only Kevin had nothing appear around him. He simply crouched and leaped, clearing a hundred meters effortlessly onto the Hyperion's deck.
Walking across the deck, Xia Qi moved forward in silence.
Everyone followed behind her.
Himeko looked around at everything on the Hyperion that was familiar to her, her brow tightly furrowed.
"A parallel world's Hyperion... so Bronya and the others came from a parallel world, not from the future."
Kiana looked at Xia Qi walking ahead, murmuring softly.
"..."
Raiden Mei remained silent.
Kevin walked alongside the group. As they continued forward, he suddenly stopped, turned to look back outside the battleship, and frowned slightly with a puzzled expression.
Then he turned back and continued walking.
Entering the ship, Xia Qi headed toward the elevator she remembered.
Along the way, they passed the Valkyrie lounge. The indoor space, as large as a basketball court, was decorated very warmly. Candid photos of everyone, group photos, and various small mementos were arranged throughout the room.
It was Kevin's first time entering the Valkyrie lounge. As a newly hired janitor, even with the access his position afforded him, he did not have clearance to enter this cabin.
Xia Qi stood in the lounge, looking at the familiar decorations and furniture. She couldn't help but reach up and press her hand to her head, a pained expression crossing her face.
"Bronya!"
Raiden Mei and the others immediately went over, looking at Xia Qi with concern while cautiously taking in their surroundings.
Kevin, meanwhile, began moving around the lounge.
He silently looked at the figures in the photos.
He saw Fu Hua, he saw Elysia, he saw Vill-V, Griseo, Aponia, and the others. In a few photos, there was even himself.
Himself, standing in a doorway holding a bowl of noodles, eating intently while calmly looking toward whoever was taking the photo.
Wait?!
Kevin suddenly noticed, in one corner of the photo wall, a picture of Kiana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya walking together at sunset. And there in the corner of that same photo were himself and MEI.
In the photo, everyone was wearing Chiba Academy uniforms.
At that moment, his seemingly frozen heart completely shattered. His eyes went wide as he stared fixedly at it.
"Rozaliya... and Liliya?"
Einstein also noticed photos of Reformist faction members. In the photos, however, both Rozaliya and Liliya had Honkai beast limbs.
Furthermore...
Welt noticed that there were even photos of Kallen, the Valkyrie who had passed away five hundred years ago, sitting beneath a cherry blossom tree alongside Yae Sakura. Cecilia and Durandal embracing each other, their smiles genuine and radiant...
And in even more photos, they saw faces both familiar and unexpected: everyone strolling together through bustling cities, Kiana's family including Sirin, Welt Joyce with Einstein, and many others who had long since left this world.
Halfway up a mountainside, the Thirteen Flame-Chasers had gathered together, with Griseo looking back at Kiana and the others climbing up toward them.
Bronya and Seele sat by a golden sandy beach in swimsuits, smiling as they sipped cold drinks.
More and more photos. Everyone present was overwhelmed.
But they all noticed one thing.
In many photos, there was a conspicuous blank space.
In group photos, an empty gap in the middle. At gatherings, an empty seat at the table with a meal still placed before it. In birthday party photos, gifts piled high together, and the handwriting on the tag of one of them had become too blurred to read.
One by one, Kevin, Kiana, and the others shifted their gazes from those empty spaces to "Bronya," who stood covering her head with a pained expression.
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